Home Vegetable Garden: Add Melons To Sweeten Up The Backyard

By Author: Michael Podlesny
Total Articles: 174
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Melons aren't vegetables of course but that does not mean you can't add a few varieties to your home vegetable garden.

Melons range from cantaloupe to watermelon and honeydew and many other varieties in between.

Most grow on vines, so they do take up some space if you do not put the time in to have them grow vertically up a trellis.

If you are willing to either put the time in to direct growth vertically or are willing to part with your gardening area, melons can add some great tasting produce just a few feet from the kitchen window.

Here is how you can successfully grow melons in your own home vegetable garden.

Sow your melon seeds to a depth of no greater than a 1/2" beneath the top soil. Most melon seeds are large enough to create strength to break through the soil's depth, but to ensure germination success, try to not let the seed get deeper than a half inch.

Due to space in your home vegetable garden you may only go with a single plant or maybe two, but if you decide to have the melons grow up on a trellis or other supporting structure then make sure you space the melon seeds ...
... out no closer than sixteen inches. This will ensure that the roots of the plants are competing for nutrients in the same area.

Melon seeds germinate best when the soil pH level is between six and seven. You can pick up any soil pH tester at your local home center for less than five dollars.

Watering for melons is different than most vegetables. While in the early stages of growth from germination until the fruit is full sized, give the melon plants a moderate watering. Once the fruit has reached its full size it then moves to the ripening stage. During this stage you want to reduce the watering to very little to none. Of course if you experience extreme heat, give your melon plants water otherwise they will crack and possibly split open.

Make sure you plant your melon seeds where they will receive full sun. Melons require lots of sun to grow and if they do not get a good full days worth their growth could be stunted.

Avoid planting melons near potatoes as they compete for very similar nutrients. On the other hand planting them near corn is an excellent idea as corn makes for a good melon companion.

Melons will provide you some fruit to go along with your veggies. Think of it as a nice dessert amidst a healthy dinner. Add some melons to your home vegetable garden and you won't be disappointed.
About the Author
Mike is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A guide to vegetable gardening for the rest of us, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and where ever gardening books are sold. He can be reached at his website: AveragePersonGardening.com where you can sign up for his free newsletter and he will send you a pack of vegetable seeds to get your home vegetable garden started.